• Grade: 6 to 7

In the Freedom of Dreams: The Story of Nelson Mandela explores the vivid world of Rolihlahla Nelson Madiba Mandela's childhood in the village of Qunu. It takes us to the rough and tumble world of Johannesburg in the years before World War II, the harshness of the Robben Island prison, and finally to the corridors of power. The play not only illuminates Mandela's public role as a freedom fighter for his people, it speaks about his love affair with justice and to the cause, and how this affair of the heart affected the dreams of the people around him. We see him as a fighter and humanitarian, but also as a father, son, husband, and brother.

Born in Germany, raised in the US, and living in Canada for more than twenty years, Michael A. Miller is a playwright who has created a diverse range of plays for audiences of all ages. Michael has been the playwright in residence at both Factory Theatre and Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People. For two seasons he was the coordinator of the CrossCurrents Festival whose mission was to bring works by writers of colour to the mainstage. He has been the artistic director of Theatre Fountainhead, the administrator for Obsidian Theatre Company that, under his direction, produced the highly acclaimed premiere of The Adventures of A Black Girl in Search of God. He was also the artistic producer of Theatre Fountainhead and the administrator for LKTYP. Most recently he was the artistic director of Omiala, A Festival of New Black Culture at Harbourfront. He has extensive experience in arts and education where he developed a long-running program for the Toronto District School Board, the Co-op Theatre Company. This program provided professional training opportunities for young people interested in pursuing theatre as a career. As the resident playwright/director at the TDSB he produced ten new original plays for young people that toured across the city to thousands of the children annually and served as a model of new and innovative approaches to arts for young people. Michael has been the recipient of numerous grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Toronto Arts Council, and the Ontario Arts Council. He has sat on juries for both the Ontario Arts Council and the Toronto Arts Council. He has won the prestigious Chalmers Canadian Play Award for excellence in playwriting, and been nominated for outstanding work by the Writers Guild of Great Britain. In 2004 he was selected as one of the twelve outstanding artists to be featured on the OAC’s fortieth anniversary website. His latest play, Touch the Sky, premiered at Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People in February 2008.

Michael A. Miller's profile page

Kathleen Gould Lundy has been involved in teaching and the arts for more than 30 years. A popular speaker and education leader, Kathy has worked on the development of curriculum documents and instructional videos on many aspects of literacy and learning. Coordinator of Destination Arts at York University, a joint venture of the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Fine Arts, she was coordinator of dramatic arts and dance at the Toronto District School Board for many years. She has been involved in the development of ground-breaking educational programs including BOLDPRINT and TIMELINE.

Kathleen Gould Lundy's profile page

In the Freedom of Dreams: The Story of Nelson Mandela